Cultivation assisting system, cultivation assisting device, cultivation assisting method, and program

Abstract

To provide a technique for enabling even a person who does not have sufficient knowledge or experience on plant cultivation to easily perform cultivation works required for realizing ideal cultivation of plants.SOLUTION: A cultivation assisting system for assisting in cultivation of a plant includes: growth information acquisition means for acquiring information on a growth state of the plant; growth state evaluation means for evaluating the growth state of the plant in stages; work action determination means for determining an optimal cultivation action corresponding to the growth state of the plant; work instruction information creation means for creating work instruction information indicating a work that a person who is engaged in the cultivation of the plant has to perform on the basis of the cultivation work determined by the work action determination means; and output means for outputting the work instruction information created by the work instruction information creation means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for cultivating plants such as agricultural crops, and more specifically, to a plant cultivation support system, a cultivation support device, a cultivation support method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, while the aging of agricultural workers has become an issue, an increase in the number of new workers in agriculture is expected due to the expansion of agricultural operations by companies and the development of agricultural employment needs among young people. In addition, it has become common for individuals to grow plants as a hobby (hereafter referred to as gardening).

[0003] As such, people who are new to agriculture or who garden as a personal hobby often lack sufficient knowledge and know-how regarding plant cultivation, so techniques have been proposed to assist non-experts in cultivating plants (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for inexpensively and non-destructively measuring indicators of plant activity such as leaf surface temperature and water potential by combining sensors (CCD, infrared sensor, bandpass filter) and performing imaging processing from a point away from the plant so that non-experts can determine the condition of the plant. More specifically, it proposes not only presenting an image of the plant sensed as described above, but also converting the image into information that can determine whether the fluctuation in the leaf surface temperature of the plant is abnormal or not based on the vapor pressure deficit obtained from the measurement result of the relative humidity. It also discloses visually displaying the difference between the data of the leaf surface temperature and water potential of an ideal farmer (for example, a farmer who has achieved a high yield), and displaying an analysis of the user's cultivation method accordingly. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-198012 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] According to the technology of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, even a person other than an expert can know the state of a plant and can compare it with the state of a plant by an ideal farmer. However, even if a person without sufficient knowledge and know-how about plant cultivation checks such data, there is a problem that he or she does not know when and what cultivation work should be specifically performed to bring the plant closer to the ideal state. In addition, the "ideal" state of a plant varies depending on the purpose and policy of plant cultivation (hereinafter collectively referred to as the cultivation policy).

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a technique that enables even a person with insufficient knowledge or experience in plant cultivation to easily carry out the cultivation work required to achieve ideal plant cultivation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration.

[0009] The cultivation support system according to the present invention is a system for supporting plant cultivation, A growth information acquisition means for acquiring information related to the growth state of the plant; A growth condition evaluation means for evaluating the growth condition of the plant in stages; A work content determination means for determining an optimum cultivation work corresponding to the growth state of the plant; a work instruction information creation means for creating work instruction information indicating work to be performed by a person engaged in the cultivation of the plant based on the cultivation work determined by the work content determination means; and an output means for outputting the work instruction information created by the work instruction information creating means.

[0010] Hereinafter, a person engaged in cultivating plants will be referred to as a "grower." Furthermore, "information relating to the growth status of a plant (hereinafter also referred to as growth information)" includes the plant's height, stem diameter, leaf shape, color, and number, fruit size and number, amount of photosynthesis, and the like. Growth information may be acquired automatically based on sensing by permanently installed sensor devices, or by the user manually inputting information. Growth information may also be acquired semi-automatically, for example by analyzing images of plants taken at the user's discretion, to acquire individual growth information.

[0011] The above-mentioned "cultivation work" includes, for example, leaf removal, bud removal, top pinching, flower removal, watering, fertilizing, training, pesticide spraying, harvesting, adjustment of the surrounding environment, etc., but is not limited to these. The "work instruction information" can indicate the work content in various ways, and may be information that indicates the work content in text, photos, diagrams, etc., or a combination of these. It may also be information that is premised on the presentation of information by voice, or may be a combination of voice and graphical display, video, etc.

[0012] With the above-described configuration, the growth status of a plant can be grasped at each stage, and the optimal cultivation work can be presented according to the growth stage of the plant. Therefore, even a person with insufficient knowledge or experience in plant cultivation (hereinafter also referred to as a beginner grower) can easily carry out the cultivation work required to realize the cultivation of an ideal plant.

[0013] The work instruction information may also include a graph showing the relationship between the passage of time and the growth state of the plant. Specifically, for example, the work instruction information may include a graph in which the growth state of the plant is plotted on the vertical axis and the passage of time is plotted on the horizontal axis. By including such a display in the work instruction information, a person engaged in cultivating the plant (hereinafter also referred to as a grower) can easily grasp the change in the growth state over time.

[0014] The growth state evaluation means may evaluate the growth state of the plant from at least the viewpoint of vegetative growth. Also, the growth state evaluation means may evaluate the growth state of the plant from the viewpoint of each of vegetative growth and reproductive growth depending on the plant variety.

[0015] For example, in the case of ornamental plants, leafy vegetables, etc., the growth state of the plant may be evaluated only based on vegetative growth. On the other hand, in the case of plants intended for harvesting, both vegetative and reproductive growth are important. In this regard, by having the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to evaluate the growth state of the plant by taking into account the balance between vegetative growth and reproductive growth according to the plant variety.

[0016] In addition, the work instruction information is It may include a graph showing a matrix of growth states indicating the vegetative growth and growth states related to the reproductive growth, a display showing the current growth state of the plant on the graph, and a display showing the cultivation goal of the plant on the graph.

[0017] With this configuration, the target state and the current growth state of the plant can be visually confirmed, and the motivation of workers who can confirm that the work is bringing them closer to the target state can be maintained and increased.

[0018] The cultivation support system further includes a cultivation policy acquisition means for acquiring a cultivation policy of the plant, The work content determination means may determine an optimal cultivation work in accordance with the cultivation policy acquired by the cultivation policy acquisition means.

[0019] When cultivating plants, it is necessary to carry out appropriate cultivation according to policies such as maximizing yield, early harvesting, and producing plants with good taste (emphasis on sugar-acid balance). In other words, depending on the priority task, the growth stage of the plant to be reached and the speed at which it should reach the next growth stage will differ, and cultivation work must be carried out accordingly. It is difficult for a beginner to cultivate to respond according to such policies, but with the above-mentioned configuration, even a beginner can easily carry out cultivation work according to the cultivation policy.

[0020] In addition, the cultivation support system further includes a work history acquisition means for acquiring history information of past cultivation work, The work content determination means may determine an optimal cultivation work in accordance with the past work history acquired by the work history acquisition means.

[0021] Even if the growth stage of a plant does not change (i.e., the plant is positioned at the same growth stage), the next cultivation work to be performed (or not to be performed) may differ depending on what cultivation work has been performed in the past. In this regard, with the above-mentioned configuration, the optimal cultivation work can be determined taking into account the past work history, so that, for example, inconveniences such as the display of instructions to perform top dressing multiple times can be prevented.

[0022] The cultivation support system further includes an environmental information acquisition means for acquiring information related to a growing environment of the plant, The work content determining means may determine an optimal cultivation work in accordance with the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquiring means.

[0023] Here, the information related to the plant growth environment includes the temperature, humidity, illuminance, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, soil moisture content, etc. of the place where the plant is grown. With this configuration, it is possible to give instructions for cultivation work that take into account the adjustment of the growth environment, and is particularly suitable for cultivation in indoor farm fields.

[0024] The cultivation support system may further include breeder information acquisition means for acquiring information related to cultivation skills of a person engaged in cultivating the plant, and the work content determination means may determine an optimal cultivation work in accordance with the information acquired by the breeder information acquisition means. Also, the work instruction information creation means may create work instruction information in accordance with the information acquired by the breeder information acquisition means.

[0025] Depending on the experience, knowledge, and skills of the breeders, there may be differences in the content of the work that can be performed and in the level of understanding of the instructions. In this regard, with the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to output work instruction information that optimizes the work content to be instructed, the way in which the instructions are expressed, etc., according to the breeder's cultivation skills.

[0026] The present invention can also be understood as a cultivation support device having the growth information acquiring means, the growth state evaluating means, the work content determining means, and the work instruction information creating means.

[0027] Further, the cultivation support method according to the present invention is a method for supporting plant cultivation, comprising: A growth information acquisition step of acquiring information related to the growth state of the plant; A growth condition evaluation step of evaluating the growth condition of the plant in stages; A work content determination step of determining an optimum cultivation work corresponding to the growth state of the plant; a work instruction information creation step of creating work instruction information indicating work to be performed by a person engaged in cultivating the plant based on the cultivation work determined in the work content determination step; and an output step of outputting the work instruction information created in the work instruction information creating step.

[0028] Moreover, each of the steps may be performed at a predetermined interval. Since there are individual differences among plants, the results of a certain cultivation operation are not always the same for each plant, and the reproducibility of the effects of the cultivation operation is not necessarily high. In this respect, by performing each step periodically in this manner, it is possible to continuously make corrections and lead to the optimal growth conditions.

[0029] Furthermore, the present invention can also be understood as a program for causing an information processing device to execute each of the above steps, or as a computer-readable recording medium on which such a program is non-transiently recorded.

[0030] Furthermore, the above configurations and processes can be combined with each other to constitute the present invention as long as no technical contradiction occurs. Effect of the Invention

[0031] According to the present invention, a technique can be provided that enables even a person with insufficient knowledge or experience in plant cultivation to easily carry out the cultivation work required to achieve ideal plant cultivation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a cultivation support system according to an application example of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a part of a process performed in the cultivation support system according to the application example. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the cultivation support system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a first explanatory diagram illustrating an example of output of work instruction information according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] Fig. 5A is a second explanatory diagram showing an example of output of work instruction information according to embodiment 1. Fig. 5B is a third explanatory diagram showing an example of output of work instruction information according to embodiment 1. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of a part of the processing performed in the cultivation support system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the cultivation support system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the cultivation support system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0034] <Application Examples> (Configuration of application example) The present invention can be applied to, for example, a cultivation support device 9 as shown in FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a cultivation support device 9 according to an application example. The cultivation support device 9 can be configured by, for example, a general-purpose computer. Specifically, although not shown, it is configured to include an arithmetic processing device, input means (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc.), output means (e.g., a liquid crystal display, etc.), and storage means (e.g., a memory, a hard disk drive, etc.), and may also include communication means (e.g., a LAN interface board, a wireless communication circuit, etc.). In addition, there is no particular limitation on the form, and various forms are possible, such as a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet information processing terminal, etc., and it may also be a so-called smartphone.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the cultivation support device 9 is configured to have various functional units, including a growth information acquisition unit 91, a growth status evaluation unit 92, a work content determination unit 93, a work instruction information creation unit 94, and an output unit 95, and these functional units output information to support the grower's cultivation work in accordance with input information.

[0036] The growth information acquisition unit 91 acquires information related to the growth state of the plant via an input means (including a communication means). The information related to the growth state of the plant is, for example, information obtained from the appearance of the plant (such as stem thickness and number of fruits), information related to photosynthesis obtained using a CO2 sensor, etc. Such information may be information confirmed by a user and input via the input means, or information obtained from a permanent sensor device may be automatically input via the communication means. In addition, the input may be semi-automatic, in which the growth information is acquired individually by analyzing an image of the plant arbitrarily taken by the user.

[0037] The growth state evaluation unit 92 evaluates the growth state of the plant in stages based on the information acquired by the growth information acquisition unit 91. Specifically, for example, an evaluation may be made on a five-stage scale (very strong, strong, appropriate, weak, very weak) for an index of vegetative growth. Note that the evaluation is not limited to a five-stage scale, and may be made on a fewer scale (e.g., three scales) or more scales (e.g., seven scales).

[0038] The work content determination unit 93 determines an appropriate cultivation work according to the growth stage of the plant evaluated by the growth state evaluation unit 92. Here, the "cultivation work" includes, for example, leaf removal, bud removal, top pinching, flower removal, watering, fertilizing, training, pesticide spraying, harvesting, adjustment of the surrounding environment, etc., but is not limited to these. The cultivation work may be determined, for example, by preparing a table that associates the growth stage of the plant with the corresponding work, and referring to the table according to the growth stage.

[0039] The work instruction information creation unit 94 creates work instruction information indicating the work to be performed by the trainer based on the work content determined by the work content determination unit 93. The work instruction information may be a text display showing the work content in text, or may be graphical content such as photos and drawings, or may be a display combining these. Information may also be presented by voice or video.

[0040] The output unit 95 outputs the work instruction information via a liquid crystal display, a speaker, or the like, depending on the contents of the work instruction information.

[0041] (Processing flow) Next, an example of a process for outputting work instruction information in the cultivation support device 9 having the above configuration will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process performed by the cultivation support device 9.

[0042] First, the cultivation support device 9 receives the following information from the growth information acquisition unit 91 via various input means and communication means: The cultivation support device 9 acquires growth information of the plant being cultivated (S901). Next, the cultivation support device 9 grades the growth state of the plant being cultivated by the growth state evaluation unit 92 based on the growth information acquired in step S901 (S902). The cultivation support device 9 further determines the work content by the work content determination unit 93 according to the growth stage of the plant evaluated in step S902 (S903). The cultivation support device 9 then creates work instruction information by the work instruction information creation unit 94 based on the work content determined in step S903 (S904), outputs the work instruction information (step S905), and ends a series of routines.

[0043] By using the cultivation support device 9 having the above-mentioned configuration, even a beginner in cultivation can easily carry out the cultivation work required to realize ideal plant cultivation.

[0044] <Embodiment 1> Next, a cultivation support system 1, which is another example of an embodiment of the present invention, will be described. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those alone.

[0045] (System Configuration) First, the overall configuration of the cultivation support system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the system configuration of the cultivation support system 1. The cultivation support system 1 includes a greenhouse 10 for growing crops, a management terminal 100, a greenhouse environment adjustment mechanism 13, and various sensors 12.

[0046] The greenhouse 10 is an indoor farm where plants are cultivated, and corresponds to a so-called vinyl greenhouse, but there is no particular limitation on the material, size, etc., and includes greenhouses of various structures.

[0047] The management terminal 100 is configured from a general computer. That is, the management terminal 100 is a computer having a main memory such as read-only memory (ROM) or random access memory (RAM), and an auxiliary memory such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a removable media. The management terminal 100 may be configured from a single computer, or may be configured from multiple computers that work together.

[0048] The management terminal 100 is configured with a general computer, and communicates with the greenhouse environment control mechanism 13 and various sensors 12 to control the environment inside the greenhouse 10 and provide information related to plant growth to the user. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, it includes a control unit 110, input means 120 (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc.), output means 130 (e.g., a liquid crystal display, a speaker, etc.), storage means 140 (hard disk drive, flash memory, etc.), and communication means 150 (e.g., a LAN interface board, a wireless communication circuit, etc.).

[0049] The control unit 110 is a means for controlling the management terminal 100, and is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). As functional modules related to supporting the grower in cultivation, the control unit 110 includes a growth state acquisition unit 111, a growth state evaluation unit 112, a cultivation policy acquisition unit 113, a work history acquisition unit 114, a grower information acquisition unit 115, an environmental information acquisition unit 116, a work content determination unit 117, and a work instruction information creation unit 118, which will be described later.

[0050] Although not shown, the storage means 140 includes a main storage unit such as a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), and an auxiliary storage unit such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a removable medium. It stores information for evaluating the growth stage of an object (e.g., threshold information for each item), information for determining the work to be performed (e.g., data tables, if then rules, decision trees, etc.), an operating system (OS), various programs, etc. Then, the stored programs are loaded into the working area of ​​the main memory and executed, and each component part, etc. is controlled through the execution of the programs, thereby realizing functional parts that fulfill a predetermined purpose as described below.

[0051] The sensor 12 includes a camera installed so as to be able to photograph at least the plants being grown in the greenhouse, and also includes measuring instruments for measuring various physical quantities related to the environment within the greenhouse 10 (e.g., temperature, humidity, illuminance, CO2 concentration, etc.).

[0052] Next, a description will be given of each functional module included in the control unit 110. The growth state acquisition unit 111 acquires data such as the thickness (stem diameter) of the plant stem, the shape of the leaf at the growth point, the distance between the growth point and the flowering inflorescence, and the number of fruits from the image data acquired from the sensor 12.

[0053] The growth state evaluation unit 112 evaluates the growth state of the plant in stages from the viewpoints of vegetative growth and reproductive growth based on the information acquired by the growth state acquisition unit 111. Specifically, for example, a threshold value is set for distinguishing the stem diameter into five stages for vegetative growth, and evaluation is performed based on this. Also, for example, a threshold value is set for distinguishing the number of fruits into five stages for reproductive growth, and evaluation is performed based on this.

[0054] The cultivation policy acquisition unit 113 acquires the cultivation policy desired by the breeder. For example, a process of accepting input of a plant cultivation policy (e.g., maximum yield, earliest harvest time, emphasis on quality, etc.) via an input means may be performed. The cultivation policy thus input may be stored in the storage means 140, and the cultivation policy may be acquired by reading out the information from there.

[0055] The work history acquisition unit 114 acquires the history of cultivation work performed in the past. For example, a process of accepting input of the work history via an input means may be performed, or the work history may be acquired via the sensor 12. The work history acquired in this manner may be stored in the storage means 140, and the cultivation policy may be acquired by reading information from the storage means.

[0056] The breeder information acquisition unit 115 acquires information related to the breeder's cultivation skills, such as the breeder's farming experience. For example, a process of accepting input of the breeder information via an input means may be performed. In addition, the breeder information may be acquired by reading information related to the work history stored in the storage means 140.

[0057] The environmental information acquisition unit 116 acquires, via the sensor 12, information on the environment in which the plants are grown, such as the temperature, humidity, illuminance, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, and soil moisture content in the greenhouse 10.

[0058] The work content determination unit 117 determines an appropriate cultivation work to be performed by the grower based on the growth state of the plant evaluated by the growth state evaluation unit 112. Specifically, for example, a table of plant growth stages and corresponding works may be stored in the storage means 140, and the work content may be determined by referring to the table.

[0059] It is possible to prepare multiple work content tables that reflect the cultivation policy, past work history, the grower's cultivation skills, and environmental information. For example, when the cultivation policy is to maximize yield, the work that should be done may differ from when emphasizing quality (flavor, sugar-acidity balance) even at the same growth stage. To be able to handle such differences, it is possible to prepare a table for each growth stage. Good too.

[0060] The work instruction information creation unit 118 creates work instruction information indicating the work to be performed by the trainer based on the work content determined by the work content determination unit 117. The created work instruction information is output by an output means, and the output form is not particularly limited as long as it is recognizable by the trainer, such as text, figures, photographs, audio, video, or a combination of these. The work instruction information may also be output together with other information.

[0061] Fig. 4 shows an example of a state in which work instruction information is output to a liquid crystal display serving as an output means. As shown in Fig. 4, the work instruction is displayed in text form as "Please water the plant." The work instruction is also displayed together with a graph showing a matrix of growth conditions related to vegetative growth and growth conditions related to reproductive growth. Furthermore, information showing the current growth condition of the plant and information showing the growth condition to be achieved as a cultivation goal are displayed on the graph.

[0062] By displaying not only cultivation work instructions but also such graphs, the grower can visually confirm the state to be reached and the current growth state of the plant, thereby maintaining and increasing the motivation of the grower to engage in cultivation work.

[0063] Furthermore, even if the work instruction information instructs the same work content, it may be expressed differently depending on the cultivation skill of the grower. Figure 5 shows examples of different expressions instructing the same work content (here, pruning). Figure 5A shows an example of the display for a grower with a certain level of cultivation skill, and Figure 5B shows an example of the display for a beginner grower.

[0064] (Processing flow) Next, an example of a process for outputting work instruction information in the cultivation support system 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process performed by the management terminal 100. The management terminal 100 executes the following process when triggered by, for example, a work content output instruction from the grower via the input means 120.

[0065] The management terminal 100 first acquires information relating to the growth state of the plant being cultivated in the greenhouse 10 using the growth state acquisition unit 111 (S101), and then evaluates the growth state of the plant using the growth state evaluation unit 112 based on the growth information acquired in step S101 (S102).

[0066] The management terminal 100 then acquires a cultivation policy from the cultivation policy acquisition unit 113 (S103), acquires work history from the work history acquisition unit 114 (S104), acquires breeder information from the breeder information acquisition unit 115 (S105), and acquires environmental information from the environmental information acquisition unit S116 (S116).

[0067] Then, the management terminal 100 uses the work content determination unit to determine the work content to be performed on the plant based on the growth condition of the plant evaluated in step S102 and the information acquired in steps S103 to S106 (S107). Furthermore, the management terminal 100 uses the work instruction information creation unit 118 to create work instruction information for communicating the work content determined in step S107 to the grower (S108), outputs the work instruction information by the output means 130 (S109), and ends the series of routines.

[0068] The above routine does not necessarily need to be triggered by an instruction from the trainer, but may be automatically executed at a predetermined time interval (e.g., one day, one week, one month, etc.). The order of the processes from step S103 to step S106 may be reversed. The processes from step S103 to step S106 may be executed before steps S101 and S102.

[0069] According to the cultivation support system 1 configured as described above, it is possible to set the work to be performed in detail based on the plant's growth condition as well as the plant's cultivation policy, past work history, the cultivation skills of the grower, and the plant's growth environment, making it possible to provide the grower with more appropriate work instructions.

[0070] <Embodiment 2> Next, an example of another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the overall system configuration of the cultivation support system 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, a center server 200 and an information processing terminal 30 are connected via a communication network N. The communication network N may be, for example, a WAN (Wide Area Network), which is a global public communication network such as the Internet, or other communication networks. The communication network N may also include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone, or a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0071] The center server 200 is configured by a general server computer, and includes a control unit 210 , a communication means 220 , and a storage means 230 .

[0072] The control unit 210 is a means for controlling the center server 200, and is configured by, for example, a CPU. The control unit 210 also includes functional units, such as a growth state acquisition unit 211, a growth state evaluation unit 212, a cultivation policy acquisition unit 213, a work history acquisition unit 214, a breeder information acquisition unit 215, an environmental information acquisition unit 216, a work content determination unit 217, and a work instruction information creation unit 218.

[0073] The communication means 220 is a communication means for connecting the center server 200 to the communication network N, and is configured to include, for example, a LAN interface board and a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication.

[0074] The storage means 230 is configured by an EPROM, HDD, etc., as described above, and stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, and various other data acquired via the communication network N.

[0075] The information processing terminal 30 is configured as a general computer, and includes an input unit 301, a communication unit 302, and an output unit 303. The information processing terminal 30 may be either a stationary terminal or a portable terminal. The information processing terminal 30 may be communicatively connected to an external device such as a sensor (not shown).

[0076] The input means 301 is a means for accepting information input from the outside, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a camera, a microphone, etc. The communication means 302 includes, for example, a LAN interface board and a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The output means 303 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display, a speaker, etc.

[0077] In the cultivation support system 2 of this embodiment, the functional units, namely the growth status acquisition unit 211, the cultivation policy acquisition unit 213, the work history acquisition unit 214, the breeder information acquisition unit 215, and the environmental information acquisition unit 216, differ from those of embodiment 1 in terms of information acquisition.

[0078] Specifically, for example, the growth state acquisition unit 211 acquires information related to the growth state via the communication means 220. That is, the growth information input by the breeder via the input means 301 of the information processing terminal 30 is transmitted to the center server 200 via the communication network N, thereby acquiring the growth information.

[0079] Similarly, the other functional units, such as the cultivation policy acquisition unit 213, the work history acquisition unit 214, the breeder information acquisition unit 215, and the environmental information acquisition unit 216, acquire the necessary information by acquiring information transmitted from the information processing terminal 30, or by reading the information stored in the memory means 230 after transmission.

[0080] It should be noted that the growth state evaluation unit 212, the work content determination unit 217, and the work instruction information creation unit 218 have the same functions as those in the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0081] In the cultivation support system 2 of this embodiment, the work instruction information created by the work instruction information creating unit 218 is transmitted from the communication means 220 to the information processing terminal 30 via the communication network N, and output from the output means 303. That is, the cultivation support system 2 according to this embodiment is a partial cloud-based version of the cultivation support system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0082] With a cultivation support system 2 having such a configuration, the system operator can set up a center server 200, allowing individual growers to easily carry out the cultivation work required to achieve ideal plant cultivation without having to prepare a dedicated terminal for cultivation support.

[0083] Fig. 8 shows a schematic diagram of a cultivation support system 3 which is a modified example of the cultivation support system 2. As shown in Fig. 8, the cultivation support system 3 according to this embodiment has a configuration in which a center server 200 and a plurality of information processing terminals 30a, 30b, and 30c are connected via a communication network N.

[0084] The information processing terminals 30a and 30b in FIG. 8 are management terminals provided in farms 31a and 31b such as greenhouses, and the information processing terminal 30c is a portable information processing terminal such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone.

[0085] Each information processing terminal 30 of the cultivation support system 3 may be managed by multiple different growers. In this way, by providing work instruction information to multiple growers, it is possible to collect information such as growth information and environmental information acquired in the process and use machine learning to improve the accuracy of work content determination.

[0086] <Other> The above embodiment merely exemplifies the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above specific embodiment. Various modifications and combinations of the present invention are possible within the scope of the technical concept. For example, the above management terminal 100 and center server 200 do not need to include all of the cultivation policy acquisition unit, work history acquisition unit, breeder information acquisition unit, and environmental information acquisition unit, and may be configured to not include some or all of these.

[0087] In the second embodiment, a sensor (not shown) may be provided with a communication function so as to transmit measured data directly to the center server 200 without going through the information processing terminal 30.

[0088] Furthermore, the output example of the work instruction information is merely an example, and it goes without saying that the displayed contents and display format can be modified in various ways. For example, when cultivating leafy vegetables, a graph may be displayed with the vegetative growth stage of the plant on the vertical axis and the passage of time on the horizontal axis. Naturally, depending on the plant variety, the vertical axis may be the reproductive growth stage. The displayed contents may also be read out aloud.

[0089] <Additional Notes> One aspect of the present invention is A system (9, 1, 2) for supporting plant cultivation, comprising: A growth information acquisition means (91, 111, 211) for acquiring information related to the growth state of the plant; A growth condition evaluation means (92, 112, 212) for evaluating the growth condition of the plant in stages; A work content determination means (93, 117, 217) for determining an optimum cultivation work corresponding to the growth state of the plant; a work instruction information creation means (94, 118, 218) for creating work instruction information indicating work to be performed by a person engaged in the cultivation of the plant, based on the cultivation work determined by the work content determination means; an output means (95, 130, 303) for outputting the work instruction information created by the work instruction information creation means; It is a cultivation support system that has the following features.

[0090] 1. A method for assisting plant cultivation, comprising: A growth information acquisition step (S901, S101) of acquiring information related to the growth state of the plant; A growth condition evaluation step (S902, S102) for evaluating the growth condition of the plant in stages; A work content determination step (S903, S107) for determining an optimum cultivation work corresponding to the growth state of the plant; A work instruction information creation step (S904, S108) for creating work instruction information indicating work to be performed by a person engaged in cultivating the plant based on the cultivation work determined in the work content determination step; an output step (S905, S109) of outputting the work instruction information created in the work instruction information creation step; The cultivation support method has the following features. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1, 2, 3, 9... Cultivation support system 10. House 100 Management terminal 110, 210... Control unit 200: Center server 10, 31a, 31b... House 30, 30a, 30b, 30c... Information processing terminal N: Communication network

Claims

1. A system for supporting plant cultivation, comprising: A growth information acquisition means for acquiring information related to the growth state of the plant; A growth condition evaluation means for evaluating the growth condition of the plant in stages; A work content determination means for determining an optimum cultivation work corresponding to the growth state of the plant; a work instruction information creation means for creating work instruction information indicating work to be performed by a person engaged in the cultivation of the plant based on the cultivation work determined by the work content determination means; an output means for outputting the work instruction information created by the work instruction information creation means; A cultivation support system having the above features.

2. The growth state evaluation means evaluates the growth state of the plant from the viewpoint of at least vegetative growth. The cultivation support system according to claim 1 .

3. the growth condition evaluation means evaluates the growth condition of the plant from the viewpoints of vegetative growth and reproductive growth depending on the plant variety; The cultivation support system according to claim 2 .

4. The method further includes a cultivation policy acquisition means for acquiring a cultivation policy of the plant, The work content determination means determines an optimal cultivation work according to the cultivation policy acquired by the cultivation policy acquisition means. The cultivation support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. Further, the method includes: acquiring operation history information of past cultivation operations; The work content determination means determines an optimal cultivation work according to the past work history acquired by the work history acquisition means. The cultivation support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The method further includes an environmental information acquisition means for acquiring information related to the growth environment of the plant, The work content determination means determines an optimal cultivation work according to the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition means. The cultivation support system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The method further comprises acquiring information on the cultivation skills of a person engaged in cultivating the plant. The cultivation support system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The work content determination means determines an optimal cultivation work according to the information acquired by the breeder information acquisition means. The cultivation support system according to claim 7 .

9. the work instruction information creation means creates work instruction information in response to the information acquired by the breeder information acquisition means; The cultivation support system according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The work instruction information is A graphical representation showing the relationship between the time course and the growth state of the plant is included. The cultivation support system according to claim 1 .

11. The work instruction information is A graph showing a growth state indicating the vegetative growth and a growth state relating to the reproductive growth in a matrix form, a display showing a current growth state of the plant on the graph, and a display showing a cultivation goal of the plant on the graph. The cultivation support system according to claim 3 .

12. A cultivation support device comprising the growth information acquisition means, the growth state evaluation means, the work content determination means, and the work instruction information creation means, and constituting at least a part of the cultivation support system described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. 1. A method for assisting plant cultivation, comprising: A growth information acquisition step of acquiring information related to the growth state of the plant; A growth condition evaluation step of evaluating the growth condition of the plant in stages; A work content determination step of determining an optimum cultivation work corresponding to the growth state of the plant; a work instruction information creation step of creating work instruction information indicating work to be performed by a person engaged in cultivating the plant based on the cultivation work determined in the work content determination step; an output step of outputting the work instruction information created in the work instruction information creation step; A cultivation support method comprising the steps of:

14. The cultivation support method according to claim 13, wherein each of the steps is executed at predetermined intervals.

15. A program for causing an information processing terminal to execute each step according to claim 13.

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